Doomed Confessionary: Anna Żukowska (Wodorost)
Photos by Katarzyna Piechotka-Gościcka
There are sooooooo many interviews waiting for you… Here’s the first for today!
Polish progressive desert rock/post-rock band Wodorost just finished their promo tour in support of the latest full-length album, »From The Depths«, out on November 10th, 2023.
Wodorost is Anna Żukowska (drums), Bartłomiej Głowiński (guitar, vocals) and Jan Witusiński (bass).
Can you say a few words about your band?
We are a mostly instrumental trio from Warsaw, Poland. Our genre used to be lumped together with desert rock and post-rock, but quite recently it has been defined as a new sub-genre – “underwater desert rock”, which we feel describes our music perfectly. Our characteristic aquatic sound and love of nature is displayed in the name Wodorost, which means “seaweed”. Everything we do, we do organically – ourselves or with the help of our friends, who understand and support our vision. The result of this synergy can be heard in the form of our two albums: the debut one (2021’s »Wodorost«), with which we wanted to say “hello” to the underground music community, and the latest concept album »From The Depths« from November this year, which is the beginning of our great musical journey.
What was the biggest challenge for the band this year?
To reconcile the recording, publishing, promotion and tour of the new album with our everyday responsibilities. Despite various unforeseen difficulties, we think we managed to do it quite well, even though we did everything completely DIY without the support of any label or agency. Straight from our hearts.
What can you be most proud of this year?
The outcome of the whole album, including the artworks that captured the vibe, the story we wanted to tell and the emotions we wanted to convey. Some of us had a really hard time during creation of this album – both as a band and as individuals, so to see that our listeners resonate and identify with it is the greatest gratification for us.
What was your biggest regret?
We regret that we are not able to provide as wide range of media on offer as our fans expect from us. For now, our music is available on all streaming platforms, you can also buy it in a digital form or as a CD. Unfortunately, our finances will not yet allow for more, although it is our dream to publish our album on vinyl or cassette. Nevertheless we do our best to provide the most professional material, because the quality is a priority for us. This is why we decided to seek and discuss any professional labels that can understand our vision and can help us evolve.
What was the best concert/tour this year and why?
Every gig we played this year was a great adventure, from which we got back with new friendships and beautiful memories, but the one that stood out was at the Red Smoke Festival in Pleszew (Poland). The people, the energy and passion for this kind of music definitely made us feel at the right place and the right time.
Where can we see you live next year (concerts/tours)?
We have some dates initially booked in Poland, but our big plan is to go on a mini tour abroad. Ideally we’d like to visit some of the Baltic countries (f.e. Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland, Sweden), as it will correspond with the aquatic vibe of the new album. We hope to build this tour around one of the festivals we applied for, but since it’s a roulette we’re open to any offers.
What are your plans for the next year as a band? What do you personally want the most?
Wodorost is a fusion of three completely different characters. At the bottom each of us has different needs and hopes but we all agree that we’d like to play as many gigs as we can. That sounded a bit cliché, but the exchange of the energy with the crowd is addicting, scary, exhilarating, stressful and intoxicating – all at the same time. Apart from that we’ll continue to create and progress. Creative souls can’t stand the void. We need an outlet for our thoughts and feelings, so we’ll be writing other “stories”. We already have enough ideas for at least the next 2 albums. You won’t be bored 🙂
How can people best support you?
To put it simply – by buying our merch 🙂 We sell digital editions, CDs, recently we have even released limited edition T-shirts… We are trying to reinvest everything so that our band continues to present new work. We are available on Bandcamp, we resell albums to small underground music stores too. You can also follow us on our social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), where we regularly post updates and stories from our concerts.
Do you have any message for your listeners?
Tell your friends about us, lend them our CD, show them our social media… Spread the good word about Wodorost. In addition, we are open to any agencies/labels/promoters that can help us achieve our goals. Also if you feel inspired by our music and you’d like to collaborate (to shoot a video, create visual art, graphics, play a concert together) feel free to contact us! We’d love to experiment with different forms.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well